There was a time when government officials would measure their service and performance by the number of waiting sheds they had made. Then, I felt that it was generous and responsible for them to have taken steps to see to it that the common man would feel the care of government through the protection being rendered by those waiting sheds. This was in spite of the fact that some of these waiting sheds were noticeably almost useless because they were wrongly placed, easily dilapidated because it was made from low quality materials and poor workmanship, and designed more for aesthetic rather than utility. In any case, it was accepted as real government service.
Years and years later, came the advent of Christmas lanterns. The premiere road in Makati, the Ayala Avenue, must have started it. As soon as advent begins, the buildings of Ayala Avenue begin to decorate their building facade with Christmas decorations, especially lanterns. Later, the lamp posts of Ayala Avenue and other main streets of Makati would be adorned with well lighted lanterns of different sizes and colors. Soon, almost every town or city in Metro Manila and some in other places are already adorned with lanterns for the Christmas season. The lanterns were attractive and beautiful, no doubt, but one wonders how much was spent for those decors. It becomes an issue when we realize that they maybe overpriced! We wonder why a government official would easily spend so much in to promote a purely religious activity. This is truly and really the classic example of the “separation of Church and State” issue. In that constitutional principle, the state is prohibited from making an activity favoring a certain religion. Would these government officials do the same for the Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists etc? Are they willing to spend so much money to directly participate and support a certain religion? Then, they are not really giving much taking consideration of the number of Catholics in this country or in their locality.
Now, comes another form of “service” by local officials, the lamp post. I really do not know who started it. But most prominent are the lamp posts of Manila along Roxas Boulevard. Others are in Pasig City, Mandaluyong City, Makati City, Taguig City, and Pasay City. At least, in these places, lamp posts had been erected. Lately, the controversial lamp posts in Cebu City. Lamp posts? Why lamp posts especially when their design and construction costs are very expensive? A thousand lamp posts with a cost of twenty thousand each is already a whooping 20 million!? Nothing really wrong with lamp posts. They beautifully adorn the streets especially in their different designs as well as providing light to the darker parts of the streets. It helps in adding visibility and therefore, security to the place. But, are lamp post the necessity of all necessities now? Are the streets really wanting in light that we need to install those many? Surely, those who had to work so hard everyday just to make both ends meet could just watch in envy about what those money could have done for them? And those who had to live everyday by begging or risking their lives by engaging in petty crimes could not stop their mouth-water in realizing that even a very small part of the money spent for those very lucky and blessed lamp posts would ease them of a lot of their pains and worries. Not that they wanted to be just given to them. But I am sure, given the opportunity, they would be willing to work hard to earn it.
Waiting sheds, Christmas lanterns, lamp posts, and maybe others before them, which had been the signs and ways of service of officials, indeed had been given much emphasis and special treatment. What is next? I pray that the next will be a “who” and not a ”what” anymore. Proponents of the “what” may give all the reasons for the benefits of these things, but the truth is that their indirect benefits to the “who” fail in great comparison to the benefits they could generate for them if they were used to uplift their lives through education, jobs, health benefits, and even political maturity. It is sad to say that those projects of providing waiting sheds, Christmas lanterns, and lamp posts at costs that are beyond proportion are already considered immoral given the condition of the people in those places.
I sincerely believe that this is not hard to see. Those government officials are very much aware of this. They just had other priorities. Maybe, they have other interests other than the interests above. It is really their decision. But, for the sake of those people who are most needy in their places, giving them better services is the least that could be done for them. For the sake of those who are rendering taxes and those people who had died to preserve our independence and democracy, the least they could do is to promote and sustain the very ideals they fought for.
If I could extend this more, it is easy for us to see that most problems and difficulties are really caused by us. If we just treat each other better, life maybe not without problems, but certainly very challenging yet manageable and exciting. We, as a people, can really make our lives better. We have to do it ourselves. We have to take responsibility for it. We can not blame it on those who had lived before us or on those who will live after us. That kind of principle and reasoning will just make us irresponsible and uncommitted persons of this beautiful world. We must live life today making use of the mistakes and gems of the past, giving great regard for the people of the future, and most importantly, do everything we can even beyond what we can. This is our only chance in this life. Time passed is past. We can not always rely on tomorrow for tomorrow may not come. Today is what matters. What we should do, do it now and here!
May all we do today be in respect and improvement of the past and thanksgiving and happiness of the future.
Years and years later, came the advent of Christmas lanterns. The premiere road in Makati, the Ayala Avenue, must have started it. As soon as advent begins, the buildings of Ayala Avenue begin to decorate their building facade with Christmas decorations, especially lanterns. Later, the lamp posts of Ayala Avenue and other main streets of Makati would be adorned with well lighted lanterns of different sizes and colors. Soon, almost every town or city in Metro Manila and some in other places are already adorned with lanterns for the Christmas season. The lanterns were attractive and beautiful, no doubt, but one wonders how much was spent for those decors. It becomes an issue when we realize that they maybe overpriced! We wonder why a government official would easily spend so much in to promote a purely religious activity. This is truly and really the classic example of the “separation of Church and State” issue. In that constitutional principle, the state is prohibited from making an activity favoring a certain religion. Would these government officials do the same for the Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists etc? Are they willing to spend so much money to directly participate and support a certain religion? Then, they are not really giving much taking consideration of the number of Catholics in this country or in their locality.
Now, comes another form of “service” by local officials, the lamp post. I really do not know who started it. But most prominent are the lamp posts of Manila along Roxas Boulevard. Others are in Pasig City, Mandaluyong City, Makati City, Taguig City, and Pasay City. At least, in these places, lamp posts had been erected. Lately, the controversial lamp posts in Cebu City. Lamp posts? Why lamp posts especially when their design and construction costs are very expensive? A thousand lamp posts with a cost of twenty thousand each is already a whooping 20 million!? Nothing really wrong with lamp posts. They beautifully adorn the streets especially in their different designs as well as providing light to the darker parts of the streets. It helps in adding visibility and therefore, security to the place. But, are lamp post the necessity of all necessities now? Are the streets really wanting in light that we need to install those many? Surely, those who had to work so hard everyday just to make both ends meet could just watch in envy about what those money could have done for them? And those who had to live everyday by begging or risking their lives by engaging in petty crimes could not stop their mouth-water in realizing that even a very small part of the money spent for those very lucky and blessed lamp posts would ease them of a lot of their pains and worries. Not that they wanted to be just given to them. But I am sure, given the opportunity, they would be willing to work hard to earn it.
Waiting sheds, Christmas lanterns, lamp posts, and maybe others before them, which had been the signs and ways of service of officials, indeed had been given much emphasis and special treatment. What is next? I pray that the next will be a “who” and not a ”what” anymore. Proponents of the “what” may give all the reasons for the benefits of these things, but the truth is that their indirect benefits to the “who” fail in great comparison to the benefits they could generate for them if they were used to uplift their lives through education, jobs, health benefits, and even political maturity. It is sad to say that those projects of providing waiting sheds, Christmas lanterns, and lamp posts at costs that are beyond proportion are already considered immoral given the condition of the people in those places.
I sincerely believe that this is not hard to see. Those government officials are very much aware of this. They just had other priorities. Maybe, they have other interests other than the interests above. It is really their decision. But, for the sake of those people who are most needy in their places, giving them better services is the least that could be done for them. For the sake of those who are rendering taxes and those people who had died to preserve our independence and democracy, the least they could do is to promote and sustain the very ideals they fought for.
If I could extend this more, it is easy for us to see that most problems and difficulties are really caused by us. If we just treat each other better, life maybe not without problems, but certainly very challenging yet manageable and exciting. We, as a people, can really make our lives better. We have to do it ourselves. We have to take responsibility for it. We can not blame it on those who had lived before us or on those who will live after us. That kind of principle and reasoning will just make us irresponsible and uncommitted persons of this beautiful world. We must live life today making use of the mistakes and gems of the past, giving great regard for the people of the future, and most importantly, do everything we can even beyond what we can. This is our only chance in this life. Time passed is past. We can not always rely on tomorrow for tomorrow may not come. Today is what matters. What we should do, do it now and here!
May all we do today be in respect and improvement of the past and thanksgiving and happiness of the future.
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